Joseph albrecht



J. ALBRECHT.

Making Sulphuric Acid.

Patented June 29, 1858.

Witnesses= Invento'r. %M

AM.FHOT0'LlTHO.CO-N.Y. (OSBORNE'S PROCESS) Uni NT @FFTQE.

JOSEPH ALBRECHT, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR TO CHAS. E. RUTH, OF

- SAME PLACE.

OBTAINING PURE SULFUROUS ACID.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,755, dated June 29, 1858'.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH ALBRECHT, of New Orleans, in the State of Louisiana, have invented a new process to produce directly pure sulfurous acid from combustion of brimstone in common air by separating it from air and nitrogen gas in which it is diffused; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

By the processes heretofore employed, it is impossible during the heat of summer in warm climates to make sulfite of lime of a strength exceeding 6 or 8 Baum without the use of ice, which is very expensive. By my improved process I can easily produce a sulfite of 10.

My invention consists in a process by which sulfurous acid gas is absorbed into water or into an alkaline solution and again expelled therefrom by the use of heat or steam.

. The accompanying drawings are designed to illustrate the principles of my invention.

In connection with the apparatus here shown I usually employ any suitable furnace, and some well known mechanical devices which are not here shown, because they form no part of my invention and are not necessary for its illustration. Yet for the convenience of those who may wish to use my invention I refer to the furnace and agitating paddles described in the patent of Bernard and Albrecht, granted Oct. 9, 1855. Different apparatus, may be employed for effecting the same purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, B, is an upright distilling cistern, behind the upper part of which is placed a horizontal absorbing cistern A. These cisterns are connected by a tube a, h, and also by another tube 6, a. The upright cistern B has a head (Z, placed some distance from the top, so as to form two distinct compartments. In the upper compartment is a coiled tube 0, for conducting and cooling gas; one end of this tube is inserted into the head (Z, at the point g, while the other end it, rises to the top of the cistern. Another coil of pipe 5, is supported by a table about midway between the two heads d, and f, of the cistern B. This coil is intended for conveying steam. It commences at s and terminates at 8, near the bottom of cistern B. A third coil of pipe 6, commences at e, somewhat above the steam coil and after winding spirally nearly to the bottom of cistern B, terminates, as above mentioned, at a. This apparatus is made to serve as follows. Let both cisterns be filled with water to the dotted line B, S. Then brimstone is burned in a suitable furnace, and the fumes thus produced are conducted into the absorbing cistern A, through the opening 2'. By means of revolving paddles the water and sulfurous fumes are agitated together in the cistern A. This agitation produces the rapid absorption of the sulfurous acid gas from the brimstone fumes, while the nitrogen and air will re main behind unabsorbed. As the fumes continue to enter at the opening 2', the nitrogen and air must be expelled at 0. This process continued will soon charge the water within cistern A, very highly with sulfurous acid, especially at the end having the open ing 2', where the fumes enter.

By the revolution of the agitating paddles the water in this absorbing cistern is waved up on one side, while it is depressed on the other, as shown by the dotted line to, o; the upper portion of this wave flows into the tube a (if the stop cock is, be open) and escapes at 6, into a distilling cistern, B. Then as the water rises in the cistern B, it readily discharges through the tube 6, back again into the cistern A, because the ends 2, and e of the tube 6, are both lower than the point a, to which the wave rises. Therefore the water will flow constantly out of one end of cistern A, thence through B into the other end of A, so long as the paddle wheels revolve.

Then the water in both cisterns is completely charged with surfurous acid, steam is introduced into the tube 8, at s so as to heat the surface water in the distilling cistern B, near the line B, S. As the water becomes heated the sulfurous acid gas is expelled and rises to the upper head (Z, of the distilling cistern. This surface water, from which the sulfurous acid has been expelled, will discharge itself at e, and in descending through the coil 6, 6, will impart its caloric to the ascending and colder liquid, then finally escape at 2 again to absorb gas. Thus the water makes repeated circuits through the apparatus, acting as carrier of sulfurous acid. Now as water charged with sulfurous acid gas, boils at a temperature below the usual boiling point, (varying according to the amount of gas contained) it is unnecessary to heat the Water to 212 F. in order to expel most of the gas. It is also 1111 necessary to expel all of the sulfurous acid from a heated portion of water, as there can be no loss of What remains in the water which returns to the absorbing cistern, consequently I can employ steam Without pressuresuch as escapes from steam engines.

Sulfuric acid is usually generated in the Water employed for considerable time as described above, therefore the apparatus must be made of lead or resinous Wood.

The sulfurous acid gas Which accumulates below the head (Z, of the cistern B escapes through the tube g, 72 the coil 0, c, of which is bathed in cold water so as to cool the gas and condense any aqueous vapors which may have accompanied the gas. From the tube 9, h, the purified sulfurous acid is conducted toa third cistern containing lime, Water and a small portion of neutral sulfite of lime. In this third cistern the chemical combination produces sulfite of lime. In this manner it is easy even in hot Weather, to make bisulfite of lime possessing a strength of 10 Baum. Also by this method of distilling off the gas, sulfite of lime already produced may be readily concentrated from 6 to-lO Baum; the additional gas being distilled from Water, or from another portion of aqueous sulfite of lime.

My process above described has been thoroughly tested in a large manufactory. Last year I put in operation apparatus by which I purified more than 5,000 cubic feet of sulfurous acid gas per day, and the density and purity of the sulfite of lime made by my newprocess are unequaled by any other factory now in Louisiana, Where large amount of capital is invested in this manufacture.

I do not claim to have made any new discovery in chemical science, but I have applied known principles of science in such new and useful manner as to greatly improve the art of making pure sulfurous acid on a large scale.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new is The above described process for the purification of sulfurous acid gas by absorbing the acid into Water or an alkaline solution and the subsequent expulsion therefrom by the use of heat or steam substantially as set forth for the purposes described.

JOSEPH ALBRECHT.

Witnesses:

F. ALLAIN, N. DE ULGL. 

